Art in New York City: Art Museums, Tours and More!

If you plan to travel to New York City in order to experience the Gotham City's rich art culture, you won't be disappointed. Millions of people travel from around the world each year to visit New York City for its numerous art museums, informative tours, and rich architectural history.

According to Wikipedia's "Tourism in New York City" page, over 45 million people travel to New York City each year, including both foreign and American tourists. No matter where their journey begins, most all are delighted by what they discover when they reach NYC. Manhattan boasts dozens of museums, informative walking tours, and much, much more. Paintings, sculptures, digital, performance art, and more: New York has it all.

Perhaps the most famous art museum in New York City is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, commonly referred to by locals and art connoisseurs as simply, "The Met". Plan on spending at least half a day exploring the more than two million works of art housed inside, which include artifacts and art from many different cultures and time periods.

Popular exhibits include The Met's Egyptian art collection, American modern art exhibits, and classical European paintings. Use the floor plans the museum provides visitors to guide you, but expect to take a wrong turn or two as you navigate the labyrinth of hallways.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is part of NYC's "Museum Mile", on the east side on Central Park, and is located at 1000 Fifth Ave and 82nd St, New York, New York, 10028. The museum is open Tuesday-Thursday, and Sunday, from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. The museum offers extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays, staying open until 9 pm, and is closed Mondays. For information on group tours, current exhibits and more, contact the Metropolitan Museum of Art directly at (212) 288 7733, or visit The Met's web page.

If you've already seen The Met, but have never been to The Cloisters, you're in for a treat. Located on the north end of the island of Manhattan in NYC, a mere stone's throw from the Hudson River, The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that displays the institution's impressive collection of medieval art. According to the Wikipedia page on The Cloisters in NYC, the collection holds more than five thousand works of European art from the middle ages. To learn more about The Cloisters, or how the building got its name, visit the Wikipedia page linked here.

To get around NYC, consult the subway maps located in any one of the hundreds of underground subway stations. You can find subway stations on most major corners in the city, and there are New York transit employees there to assist you during business hours. You can also hail a taxi, which will cost considerably more and not necessarily get you around town any faster; however, if you're claustrophobic, it may be they way to go. For bus, train and subway information to travel in and around NYC, visit the MTA web site.

If museums aren't your thing, consider a different approach. Many famous buildings and neighborhoods in New York offer guided tours. For example, you can take a guided tour that has a major emphasis on art at the world-famous Rockefeller Center.

Located in Midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center is practically a work of art itself, fashioned in an Art Deco style of understated power, function and sophistication. Built during The Great Depression, and made up of nineteen buildings on more than 20 acres of land, Rockefeller Center has been a NYC institution since the 1930's.

Included in Rockefeller Center are the famed Radio City Music Hall, the GE building, NBC Studios, The Rainbow Room restaurant is currently famous for being the namesake of NBC's smash hit, "30 Rock".

According to Wikipedia, Rockefeller Center was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1987. A multitude of sculptures, hung art, murals and other artwork that reflects the forward-thinking and progressive views of John Rockefeller exist within Rockefeller Center, and adorn the exterior facades and grounds.

The tour lasts a little over an hour, requires quite a bit of walking, and the ability to stand for an extended period of time. Admission to the Rockefeller Center walking tour is free for children under six, $12 for adults and $10 for kids under 16 and seniors. Call (212) 664-7174 for more information.

In the mood for something a bit different? Check out the elaborate, intricately detailed works of art housed in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Located at 234 W. 42nd St, between 7th and 8th Ave, in the heart of Manhattan, Madame Tussaud's offers life-like wax figures that strongly resemble the celebrities they pay eternal homage to.

Actors such as Nicholas Cage, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and George Clooney are among subjects of Tussauds' incredibly detailed art collection. stunning starlets such as Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston and even the inexplicably famous Paris Hilton are also featured, but Hollywood doesn't have the monopoly on Tussauds' talents.

Sports figures such as Serena Williams and political figures like Barack Obama are equally represented in the massive wax art collection housed at Madame Tussauds' Times Square location.

For information on specific wax figures, special events at the museum, and to plan your visit, visit the Madame Tussauds web site (NYC location).

If you are planning to travel to New York City in 2010, consider visiting in May, during the 2010 NYC Affordable Arts Fair. There, collectors can explore reasonably priced works of art in a variety of mediums (sculptures, paintings, video, drawings, photography, etc) from more than 60 art galleries throughout the world.

Countries with galleries to be represented at the 2010 AAF in New York will include the United States, Asia, South America, Europe and Canada.

The 2010 AAF will be held May 6 through May 9, 2010. The AAF art showcase will be located at Manhattan at 7 West 34th St, New York, New York, 10001. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students with ID, and $10 per person for groups of 10 or more.

Children under 12 years old will be admitted free of charge. Pieces of art in the collections begin at $100, and no art for sale at the AAF will be priced at more than $10,000.

For more details on the May 2010 Affordable Art Fair, to be held in New York City, visit the AAF's web site.